'The Merchant of Venice' resume

A young man called Bassanio, who lives in venice, is in great need of a loan of three thousand italian ducats (money.) so that he can woo to a girl named Portia, who is a wealthy venetian heiress.

Bassanio then asks his friend Antonio, a merchant, for money.

But Antonio doesn’t have a lot of money, because he invested all his wealth in his fleet, which is currently at sea.

Antonio then approaches a jewish money lender called Shylock, who actually hates Antonio because of his hatred upon Shylock’s religion and way of life.

Shylock, the lender, agrees to make a short-term loan. But he makes an evil condition to the loan. He tells Antonio that he has to repay in the matter of three months, or else he will take a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body.

Antonio agrees, he is confident that his ships will return, with his money, in time.

Because of some terms in the will of Portia’s father, all suitors, who woo to Portia, must choose among three caskets, one of which contains a portrait of her. (There are a casket of gold, silver and lead.) If the suitor choose the right casket, he may marry Portia. But if the suitor doesn’t choose the right casket he must vow to never marry or court to another woman ever again.